Dana dudley



D. DUDLEY.

PNEUMATIG GUN.

(No Model.)

vPatented July 23, 1889.

nnnlwi #as 5410044, Fot- UNirE Sterns,

area @raient DANA DUDYLEY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOTCHKISS ORDNANCE COMPANY," (LlMlTElllOF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Pneumatic con.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 4Letters Application tiled April 26, 1889.

ToA @ZZ whom it may concern:

B e it known that I, DANA DUDLEY, a citi'- zen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachu- 5- setts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My improved gun consists in providing a separate compartment, in which the air compression is produced by an explosive, and connecting the same by suitable tubing with the gun-barrel from which the proj ect-ilev is to be discharged.

The accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention, is a vertical cross-section through my gun, showing its dilerent parts. Y A is the air-compression chamber, having a-remevable breech-piece B of well-known construction and provided with firing mechanism B'.

C is the explosive.

D is a diaphragm, of metal or other suitable material, closing the end of the explosionchamber. and held in place by means of the cap E E, which screws onto and partly over the end of the air-compression chamber A. This diaphragm D when th us secured in place, tightly closing the chamber A, acts asa pressure safety-valve, the resistance of the diaphragm providing one means for determining the degree of pressure that'can be produced Within the chamber. This required degree of resistance may be attained either by varia-- tion in the thickness of the diaphragm or in its material. y

F F is an air-tube, open at both ends, which connects the compressicn-chambe'r A with thev barrel G ot' the air-gun in the rear of the projectile Il, as shown.

I is the breech-piece, removable for the purpose of introducing the projectile; and 'K K are braces to hold the parts together.

The operation of the gun is as follows: The gun having been loaded, as shown in the drawing, with the projectile in barrel G for-y ward of the entrance of the air-tube Fand the explosive in chamber A, the breech-pieces B and I are closed and diaphragm I) firmly secured in place. On the explosion of4 the ex- 5o plosive C by means of a primer or in any Patent No.407,476, dated July 23, 1889.

Serial No. 308,656. (No model.)

Well-known Way the contained air is at once greatly compressed and this pressure communicated through tube F to the rear of 'the projectile in barrel G, discharging the gun.

\ A gun of the following dimensions will give 5 5 goed results, in which the diameter of the bore proper (barrel G) is one and one-half inch, length eighty-four inches; diameter of air-tube (tube F) is two inches, length fortyinches; diameter of air-compression cham- 6c ber A is three inches, length thirty eight inches; weight of projectile is two pounds, of powder-charge eight ounces, and the resistance of plate D to blowing out forty-tive pounds per square inch; but I do not limit myself to the dimensions here given, as each and all of 'them may be greatly varied Without departing from theessence ot" my invention.

Among numerous advantages presented by my improved gun are the great simplicity and yo consequent cheapness of construction, the facility with which the air-pressure is produced, and the absence of any fouling of the gun-barrel due to the smoke and unburned powder.

It is evident that the explosive charge and the gun-barrel G remaining unchanged, the pressure in the latter may be regula-ted by varying the sine of chamber A. Ii is also evidentthat while I have shown chamber A in' the drawing in the shape oif a tube open' at 8o both ends and with the necessary closing devices--a form which I greatlyprefer because of the increased facility it affords for cleaning the chamber-I do not limit myself to the same, as the chamber may be of any convenient shape, provided always that'it has means for the introduction of the explosive and for connecting it with the barrel containing the projectile. Neither do I limit myself to the particular location with respect to each other 9o of the compression-chamber A and of the gunbarrel G. These areI shown in the drawing as beingin a vertical plane; but they may also be in a horizontal plane or even disconnected in every respect until the moment of firing. Neither do I limit myself to the relative sizes of theA compression-chamber and of the gun-barrel, as the -latter may-be ot larger dimensions than the former without departing from the spirit of my invention, which :oci

. consists, essentially, of a chamber adapted to contain' an explosive to compress the ai1` chamber, in Awhich the compression is pro-.

duced by means of an explosive to use in combination with the particular form of airguns shown inthe drawing. I

It is also obvious that other ways of firing the explosive maybe used from that shown inv the drawing'. Y

I make no claim to the method of compressi ing the air which I employ in the gun, such method forming part of my application filed April 29, 1889, of even date herewith, Serial No. 308,654.

.ljlaving thus described my invention, Whatj l claim as new, and desire to secure by means of Letters Patent, is--'` 1. A pneumatic gun' consisting of an airn compressing chamber adapted to contain air i to be compressed by an explosive therein', a

barrel to contain v the projectile, meansfor communicating the air-pressure uninterrupt- Y edly to the projectile in the barrel, means for charging the airfcompressin g cham be and the barrel, and means for exploding the explosive in the air-compressing chamber, substantially as and 'for the purpose described.

to con-tain'fair to'be compressed lby an explo sive therein, having a breechpieceB, vanex- I, and tubeRuninterI-uptedlyconnecting the .i

air-compressing chamber and the barrel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' 8. The combination, with a pneumatic gun having'an air-compressing chamber A,

adapted to contain an explosive, of a safety valve consisting of a diaphragm D and means for holdin git in place, an explosive contained in said chamber, a barrel to contain a pro` compressed by an explosive therein, means for explodingthe explosive, and means whereby the compressed air acts uninterrnptedly upon the projectile to discharge the sam e,s. ubsta1,1' tiallyas described.'

5. The combination ,of .chamber A, adapted 'to contain air to be compressed by an explo sive therein and having the breech-piece and irin g Amechanism for exploding the explosive, diaphragm D and cap E E, closing ,thev explosion-chamber, barrel' lGr, having breech-piece 1, and tube F F, uninterrupte'dly connecting chamber A v vith barrel .G 4in .the rear ofthe projectile, substantially as and iontlie' purpose'described.

In testimony whereof I have" hereunto set miy'hand in the presence of info subscribing Witnesses.

f /BANA nimeer- Witnesses: i

HOWARD PARSONS EIvVFLL, GEORGE J CARR.' 

